1 . How to help your cat lose weight

There’s perhaps nothing cuter than a chubby (圆胖的) cat.    1    Obesity (肥胖) in cats can lead to some health problems. Researchers at Virginia-Maryland College just launched their findings of a study on how to keep indoor cats at a healthy weight.    2    Just like humans, cats need to eat less and move more.

In a “food is love” culture, it often happens that you overfeed your cats. So you should stop “free feeding” — only feed your cat the vet (兽医)-suggested amount at the same time every day.    3     If you have a cat that’s screaming for food, you still need to keep their food under control and try feeding them vegetables.

    4    Cats are most playful early in the morning or late in the afternoon, so try to schedule your playtime when they’re most active. You don’t need to try hard to find anything fancy — an empty box or old newspapers might be all your cat needs to get moving.

The most successful weight loss involves a meaningful connection between you and your cat. Dodd, one member of the study, actually dieted with her cat.    5     So it was kind of like that social support, where if she couldn’t eat, the cat couldn’t eat either.

A．There are no magic ways.

B．Besides dieting, consider giving them some toys.

C．Her cat needed to lose weight and she needed, too.

D．But extra weight is keeping your cat from living its best life.

E．It turns out that the weight loss improved cats’ living experience.

F．They always depend on their owners to have the best self-control.

G．This will discourage your cat from expecting too many extra treats.

2 . Bees are important to agriculture. But useful as they are, bees do not receive the same care and concern over their emotional well-being as other agricultural animals.

Ecologist Buchmann’s recent book, which collects the work of bee scholars as they work to explain what goes on in their brains, suggests bees can learn, think and even likely feel, much like animals. Buchmann’s work also suggests bees should hold a special place in our ethical scheme (道德体系). For Buchmann and some other scientists, what they have learned about bees changes their research strategies to be more ethical, on par with (相当于) the standards set for animals such as mice and monkeys.

Experiments, the outcomes of which are addressed in the book, illustrate the secret life of bees. Lars Chittka, a University College of London professor, did an experiment 16 years ago where he hid a robotic spider in flowers. The spider would grab a careless bee that came too close and then release it after giving it a scare. Chittka observed how the released bees learned to look for the spider and to avoid it. Some would be too scared to approach even unoccupied flowers.

Other studies proved that bee brains saw rushes in chemicals that could bring happiness when they were presented with sucrose (sugar). These happy bees then found more food than their unrewarded bees. By contrast, stress from poor handling lowered the levels of these happy chemicals.

“Many of my colleagues do experiments where bees have some devices placed into various body parts without considering their feelings,” Chittka says. “The current care free situation that researchers live in with no legal framework needs to be re-evaluated.” There are few laws regarding bee welfare. Buchmann thinks the “unhappiness” of bees might be a contributing factor to the decreasing numbers of bees.

Bees are critical to feeding the world and to plant survival. But the bees need care too. The first step in safeguarding the precious bees is to learn more about them and their lives. “These unique minds, regardless of how much they may differ from ours, have as much justification to exist as we do,” says Chittka.

1. What can we learn about Buchmann’s new book?

A．It focuses on the ethical scheme.	B．It records some research on bees.
C．It teaches people how to protect bees.	D．It introduces some famous scientists.

2. Which statement can be used to describe the bees in Chittka’s experiment?

A．Once bitten, twice shy.	B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Never offer to teach fish to swim.	D．Kill two birds with one stone.

3. What conclusion can we draw from the studies?

A．Bees are well-received.	B．Bees are precious.
C．Bees can have emotions.	D．Bees can handle stress well.

4. What might be Chittka’s advice?

A．New devices should be placed in bees.

B．People shouldn’t experiment with bees in the lab.

C．New rules should be made for the benefit of bees.

D．The function of bees should be re-evaluated.

3 . Coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. They’re also in serious danger——climate change and other threats are killing them off. But researchers have come up with an invention they think could help the reefs: 3D-printed corals.

At the heart of reef ecosystems lies a symbiosis (共生关系) between corals and algae (藻类). Corals use light and they’re photosynthesizing (光合作用). The algae inside corals’ tissues (组织) make use of the light to generate energy, and that energy is then transferred to the coral animal host. That animal host, in return, transfers certain by-products to the algae, so they have a symbiosis going on.

This bond between algae and corals is what makes reefs so incredibly productive.Because of this symbiosis, corals have evolved complex skeletal (骨骼的) and tissue structures for collecting sunlight which usually fades rapidly. Through the skeleton, light is pumped and guided into deeper, otherwise shaded areas.

Scientists copied some tricks that corals use. They imaged corals to analyze their skeletal and tissue makeup and then used a 3D bioprinter to build a complicated structure that mimics real corals. The printed corals were made of biomaterials like cellulose (纤维素) and had algae planted in them.

The researchers replicated (复制) coral structure so well that the algae grew very quickly—— up to 100 times more densely than they normally grow in the lab. The 3D-printed creation could be used as a medium to grow algae to produce bioenergy and also as a tool for studying the coral-algae symbiosis.

Of course, there are many other ways this technology can be further scaled and improved to create something like artificial corals in the future. So this is just the first step,where they created the animal host, but they are now continuing to further replicate this animal-algal symbiosis and developing model systems. Eventually, it would be nice that this can have direct applications in coral reef restoration.

1. What is the function of the algae inside corals’ tissues?

A．To perform photosynthesis.

B．To pump light into shaded areas.

C．To produce energy needed by their host.

D．To build complex skeletal structures.

2. What do algae get in the symbiotic relationship with corals?

A．Stronger tissues.	B．Certain by-products.
C．Biomaterials like cellulose.	D．An animal host.

3. Scientists use 3D-printed coral structure to         .

A．make a study of the coral-algae symbiosis

B．strengthen the bond between algae and corals

C．change ocean conditions for corals to survive

D．remove the harmful algae inside the tissues of corals

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Fantastic Coexistence of Corals and Algae

B．Corals Evolving Symbiosis to Avoid Extinction

C．Coral Reefs: Productive but Endangered Ecosystem

D．3D-Printed Technology Hopefully Saving Coral Reefs

4 . GET A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD’S MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATHERED ANIMALS WITH THESE BOOKS

Flamingo (火烈鸟)

Biologist and photographer Claudio Contreras Koob spent 20 years travelling deep into the wet lands and forests of his native Mexico—and beyond—to feed his flamingo attraction. This book offers a unique window into the behavior and life of red-feathered birds, with more than 120 show-stopping shots displaying their beauty. teNeues, £35.

Around the World in 80 Birds

Inspiring secrets, national pride or scientific discoveries, every bird has a story to tell, from the weaver bird building multi-nest “apartment blocks” in Namibia to the bar-headed goose taking on a twice-yearly trans-Himalayan journey at an extreme altitude. Mike Unwin’s tour is accompanied by beautiful illustrations from Ryuto Miyake. Laurence King Publishing, £22.

A World on the Wing

Pulitzer-shortlisted Weidensaul, who’s at the forefront of research into bird migration, here tracks some of nature’s most remarkable journeys. He sails through the stormy Bering Sea, encounters trappers in the Mediterranean and visits former headhunters in northeast India, where a bird migration crisis has become a conservation success story. Pan Macmillan, £9.99.

Galapagos Crusoes: A Year Alone with the Birds

Explore this updated version of the 1968 title, Galapagos: Islands of Birds, by late bird expert Bryan Nelson, with previously unpublished material from his wife, June. The couple spent a year living on two Galapagos islands, studying birds, including the Galapagos albatross (信天翁). This is their clever and amusing account. Bradt Guides, £11.99.

1. By whom is the second costliest book illustrated?

A．Claudio Contreras Koob.	B．Mike Unwin.
C．Ryuto Miyake.	D．Weidensaul.

2. Which book best suits those concerned about the survival of migratory birds?

A．Flamingo.	B．Around the World in 80 Birds.
C．A World on the Wing.	D．Galapagos: Island of Birds.

3. What feature may Galapagos Crusoes: A Year Alone with the Birds have?

A．Its humorous description.	B．Its romantic style.
C．Its vivid imagination.	D．Its moving plot.

5 . A future where insects make up a large part of the world’s diet is on the horizon. Despite the unpleasant nature of such cuisine, insects have been considered a delicacy in some parts of world for centuries. Their being low-fat and high-protein makes them a perfect choice for reducing hunger.     1    

Animal protein from livestock (家畜), such as cows, chicken and pigs, takes up 80 percent of the entire world’s farmland, despite only making up less than one-fifth of calories consumed globally.    2    Thus it would support a variety of biodiversity as nature intended.

Insects such as grasshoppers, meal worms and crickets are packed full of protein with much higher vitamin levels than pork or beef.    3    Greenhouse gas emissions through this process are also very little, with insect waste making excellent fertilizer (肥料) for agricultural soil.

It seems that insects are an ideal solution for many issues the world today is faced with.    4    Urban areas of Asia, Europe and North America are most likely to associate insects with dirt instead of as a tasty meal.

Times are changing. The European Union last year declared that meal worms were safe for human consumption. Cricket protein powder is also increasing greatly in popularity, with Canada rapidly becoming the largest market for the product.

    5    As we explore our solar system, efficient means of producing animal based-proteins will become vital. None are more efficient space-wise than insects. And the colonies of the future could well find themselves enjoying fried crickets with a pint of beer while watching the Martian sunset.

A．They also have a host of environmental benefits.

B．Insects reproduce quickly and have high growth rates.

C．Unlike agriculture, insects produce far fewer greenhouse gases.

D．They require little space, water and technology to raise compared to livestock.

E．However, making them a delicious cuisine can be a challenge in several cultures.

F．By freeing up livestock space, huge expanses of land could be returned to nature.

G．A future where insects will become invaluable to space exploration is also upcoming.

6 . Recycling is a great way of doing your bit for the environment and helping to protect the earth’s precious resources. However, a new study has revealed that our desire to be sustainable maybe doing more harm than good. According to waste company Biffa, this is because of “wish-cycling” — assuming that items such as disposable coffee cup sand pizza boxes will be recycled if put in the recycling bin. In fact, pollution from those items or other non-recyclables can result in recyclable items that have been put in the correct bin going to landfill. David Heaton, a business director at Biffa, said: “Pollution happens when items are disposed of in the wrong bins or haven’t been cleaned before being recycled.”

Experts at Biffa analyzed the amounts of non-target and non-recyclable materials that entered UK material recycling facilities between 2016 and 2020. It was found that, in 2016, the average pollution rate of recycling waste was 13.4 percent, rising over four years to 17 percent by the end of 2020. This shows that, even as people are becoming more eco-conscious, wish-cycling is increasing both in households and businesses.

The Biffa experts say that one of the best ways to prevent pollution of recycling is to clean recyclable waste before putting it in the bin. They suggest cutting off the top of old pizza boxes and only recycling that part to avoid pollution from the grease (油脂). Check the on-packaging recycling label to check it can actually be recycled When it comes to plastics, Biffa recommends checking the resin code, the number in the plastic triangle, to know whether it should go in the recycling bin. In general, resin codes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are recyclable, while 3, 6 and 7 are not. Larger items, like electronics, furniture and batteries, can also be recycled but often can not go in household recycling bins as they need specialist separating. These will need to be taken to recycling centers or sustainable waste management companies.

“It’s vital as a nation that we get better at effective ‘pre-cycling’— sorting waste correctly before collection to reduce pollution rates,” added Mr. Heaton.

1. What’s the truth of “wish-cycling” according to the first paragraph?

A．The desire to lead a sustainable life.

B．The good intention to help recycling.

C．The habit of throwing items that end up in landfills.

D．The practice of recycling items that can not be recycled.

2. What has experts at Biffa concluded after their analysis?

A．People are becoming more eco-conscious.

B．Wish-cycling is on the rise in recent years.

C．Pollution happens less frequently in recycling facilities.

D．People are used to cleaning recyclable waste before putting it in the bin.

3. Which of the following is a proper way of recycling?

A．Dispose of electronics together with household waste.

B．Skip the step of checking the on-packaging recycling label.

C．Check the resin code of plastics to see whether it is recyclable or not.

D．Cutoff the top of old pizza box and throw the rest to the recycling bin.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Recycling: a Big Project	B．Wish-cycling: a New Trend
C．Wish-cycling: a Growing Concern	D．Pre-cycling: an Effective Method

7 . A recent paper describes bees rolling tiny wooden balls, not for a reward, but apparently just for fun. This discovery emphasizes a long-standing conflict in our view of animals. On the one hand, we want to find the features that distinguish humans from other animals: tools, language and a theory of mind. On the other hand, we delight in finding animals that break those boundaries: chimps, crows and now bees that use tools, dolphins with signature whistles. But what do those boundaries mean?

As a biologist who studies animal behaviour, I am puzzled by this effort to rank animals by their capabilities. I applaud the desire to show that animals are like us, but we can recognize animals for what they are, and be amazed at their abilities, without having to make their behaviour mirror that of humans.

Once we get out from the assumption that animals have to be like people with human motivations and feelings, we are freed up to consider the mechanisms (机理) behind the behaviours. For example, the same serotonin (血清素) influences anxiety in humans and maze (迷宫) exploration in crayfish. In a tank divided into well-lit and shadowy areas, crayfish explore both, but prefer the darker areas, consistent with their night lifestyle.

Does this mean crayfish experience anxiety? No. In the bees’ case, they might be exhibiting some very interesting behaviour that has nothing to do with wanting to “have fun”—but we will never examine it if we simply assume they are playing just like people. I am not disparaging the bee researchers’ conclusions, and I am not trying to be a killjoy, but there is something about all this humanizing that prevent exploration, instead of encouraging it.

1. What’s the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To list out facts.	B．To raise an argument.
C．To arouse readers’ interest.	D．To explain a concept.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Behaviour mechanisms work.	B．Crayfish prefer the light sections.
C．The assumption proves reasonable.	D．Animals are similar to human in mind.

3. What does the underlined word “disparaging” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Criticizing.	B．Explaining.
C．Confirming.	D．Acknowledging.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Feelings: Guiding Human Being	B．Boundaries: Making No Sense
C．Humanizing: Covering the Truth	D．Animals: Mirroring Human Behaviours

8 . Earthwatch expeditions pair researchers with volunteers to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Explore our current expeditions to discover how you can make a difference.

Climate Change at the Arctie’s Edge

Northern ecosystems are being transformed by climate change. Join this long-term monitoring effort to explore what these changes mean for the arctic and the rest of the world.

Location: Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Activity Level: Moderate

Accommodations: Single Rooms possible; Research Station; Internet access

Food: buffet-style meals; Special diets accommodated

Amazon Riverboat Exploration

Aboard a riverboat deep in the heart of Peru’s flooded Amazon region, you’ll help to conserve river dolphins and monkeys, and protect the fragile South American wilderness.

Location: Samiria River, Peru

Activity Level: Very Active

Accommodations: Single Rooms possible

Food: Chef-prepared meals

Conserving Threatened Rhinos in South Africa

Rhinos are believed to play an important role as “ecosystem engineers”. Help scientists to understand their impact on the environment to help conserve and manage rhinos in South Africa.

Location: Northwest Province, South Africa

Activity Level: Moderate

Accommodations: Single Rooms possible; Double Rooms possible; Wilderness Camp

Food: Chef-prepared meals; Special diets accommodated

Conserving Wetlands and Traditional Agriculture in Mexico

Assist researchers in collecting data on water quality and land use in an ancient agricultural ecosystem within the wetlands of Xochimilco.

Location: Xochimilco, Mexico

Activity Level: Easy

Accommodations: Double Rooms possible; House Internet access

Food: Chef-prepared meals

1. What are the volunteers required to do in Canada?

A．Collect data on water quality.	B．Observe Arctic’s climate change.
C．Change northern ecosystem.	D．Rebuild the flooded region.

2. What do the expeditions in Peru and South Africa have in common?

A．Wildlife protection.	B．Water activities.
C．Various accommodations.	D．Independent research.

3. Which expedition is suitable for a beginner volunteer?

A．Amazon Riverboat Exploration.

B．Climate Change at the Arctic’s Edge.

C．Conserving Threatened Rhinos in South Africa.

D．Conserving Wetlands and Traditional Agriculture in Mexico.

9 . It has been almost six and a half years since the American music group Pearl Jam published its tenth album. That changed Friday when the band dropped its eleventh collection, Gigaton. Critics (批评家) have noted that this new album includes hard rock. Entertainments Weekly called the music “a gathering storm of guitars”. In other words, there is some loud and wild music on Gigaton. But most reviewers agree that Pearl Jam continues to experiment with less traditional rock and roll sound on the album.

But back to the name of the album — Gigaton can also mean the weight mass equal to 1 billion tons. The word is most often used these days in stories related to climate science and environmental damage. In fact, former U. S. President Obama famously defined the word during a speech about climate change in Alaska and the Arctic. When discussing the huge yearly loss of ice from Alaska’s glaciers, he compared the amount to the size of the national Mall in Washington, as if it were a solid (固体的) block that stood almost 700 meters tall.

And climate change issues are at the heart of Pearl Jam’s Gigaton. The album picture shows icefalls in Svalbard, Norway. Svalbard is one of the northernmost places where humans live in the world. Some climate scientists say it is warming faster than any other place. Pearl Jam has spent most of its 30-year existence on environmental causes. The band and its members have won honors for raising money, climate change educational efforts and more. They also put money into environmental health projects to reduce the group’s carbon footprint.

Pearl Jam was officially introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. The lead singer Vedder’s opening comments were about the environment. “So, climate change is real,” he said. “And we...cannot...cannot be the generation that history will look back upon and wonder why they didn’t do anything possible to solve the biggest danger in our time.”

1. What can we know about the new album Gigaton?

A．It includes more loud music.

B．It receives fans’ high praise.

C．It is Pearl Jam’s tenth album.

D．It has new musical elements (要素).

2. Why are Obama’s words mentioned?

A．To give a definition of Gigaton.

B．To call on people to focus on glaciers.

C．To show the influence of climate change.

D．To explain the character of Alaska’s glaciers.

3. What do the members of Pearl Jam always try to do?

A．Fund healthcare projects.

B．Build houses in Svalbard.

C．Fight against climate change.

D．Team climate scientists up.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．Pearl Jam’s New Album Makes a Hit

B．Gigaton: a Gathering Storm of Guitars

C．Pearl Jam: an Famous Band in the World

D．A New Album Rocks Hard on Climate Change

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Every day, Duan Lianru spends several hours sitting in her office in Hunchun, Jilin province to make a     1     (compare) of hundreds of photos of Siberian tigers on the computer.

“It seems a little boring, but     2     (basic) I enjoy the work, which makes a connection between me and the big cats,” said the 36-year-old monitor from there search monitoring center of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. The park     3     (stretch) across the provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang.

Duan is responsible for identifying the tigers according to patterns on     4     (they) fur and giving them something like     5     identity card.

The park,     6     size exceeds (超过) 1.4 million hectares, is the most important habitat for wild Siberian tigers and Amur leopards in China.

The Siberian tigers’ “ID cards” come     7     a lot of important basic data that aids scientific conservation.     8     (base) on such information, Duan draws the family trees of the tigers.

Recent years     9     (see) a remarkable increase in the variety and number of wild animals and more tiger families have been found, including some back two or three generations.

“I feel quite honored to be involved in such significant work.” Duan said. “     10     (create) a more beautiful world, humans and wild animals, I hope, can live in harmony.”